China’s Shenzhen hit by landslide, 22 missing

THOUSANDS of rescuers combed through rubble and debris yesterday as the search went on for dozens of people still missing after Sunday’s landslide in the south China city of Shenzhen. In October, a building collapsed in the central province of Henan, killing at least 17 construction workers. According to local officials, three of the 33 buildings that were destroyed by the waste build up were dormitories for workers, highlighting the lack of care and safety companies provide for their workers in China.

“I’ve made more than 40 calls; none of them got through”. “The area is buried so deep”.

A regional source told RFA that the mud had been piled up by successive hill-leveling operations as the area moved from countryside to rapidly-urbanizing industrial zone hungry for land.

Chinese rescue teams work, as photographed from above. Seven people are believed to have been killed.

Photos and footage carried by state media showed squat buildings crumpled by a thick stretch of brown soil.

The landslide, which covered an area of more than 100,000 square metres, ruptured a gas pipeline and triggered an explosion, China News Service reported.

The initial landslide sparked an explosion in a section of a natural gas pipeline owned by PetroChina, the country’s top oil and gas producer.

A giant flow of mud and construction waste spewed out of a dump which was filled beyond capacity, burying 33 buildings. All are in a stable condition.

Wang, who worked in a factory near the site, said the power was suddenly cut off in her factory at midday Sunday and then she heard her colleagues shouting “Run quickly!”

Rapid urban expansion coupled with lax enforcement of zoning regulations have contributed to other accidents in major cities.

“Shenzhen is a modern city after all; ultimately its management standards are pretty high”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping have mourned over the situation and had ordered immediate rescue efforts in the region.

Xinhua said 14 people had been rescued and more than 900 people had been evacuated from the site by Sunday evening.

He Weiming, a migrant worker from Henan province, told state media that many of his relatives were buried in the debris. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.2317 0.25 % , a contract manufacturer known as Foxconn that makes iPhones and other products, also has a large facility in the city.

Some residents blamed government negligence.

He has pledged to do everything he can to rescue those reported missing and ensure that no similar disasters occur in future, news website Southcn.com reported.